Why Did It Take More Than 18 Hours For The World To Find Out About The Cheney Shooting?

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News

I imagine you were as surprised as I was yesterday to discover that Dick Cheney has joined a very exclusive club: Sitting Vice Presidents Who Have Shot Someone. (The only other member, as far as I know: Aaron Burr, who famously killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel – and then served out his term.)

There are a lot of questions surrounding the shooting of 78-year-old millionaire lawyer Harry Whittington, who is now in the hospital recovering from a blast of birdshot to his face, neck and chest, but we're concerned with the media angle – namely, if this happened around 5:30 PM Saturday, why didn't news of it come out until Sunday afternoon? It seems to have fallen to the owner of the ranch where the incident took place, Katherine Armstrong, to inform the media what happened. As the Washington Post points out, "Cheney's office made no public announcement, deciding to defer to Armstrong because the incident had taken place on her property. Armstrong called the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, and when a reporter from the paper called the White House, the vice president's office confirmed the account."

Editor and Publisher's Greg Mitchell reports that the reporter from the Caller-Times, Jaime Powell, got the tip thanks to a "strong source relationship" with Armstrong. "…it is not known for certain that Cheney's office, the White House, or anyone else intended to announce the shooting if the reporter…had not received word from the ranch owner," writes Mitchell.

In case you're having trouble reading between the lines: It looks like the White House thought it best not to let anyone know that the Veep had shot someone in the face.

As Mitchell points out, the Chicago Tribune's Frank James articulated the problem with that on the Tribune's Washington Bureau blog: "When a vice president of the U.S. shoots a man under any circumstance, that is extremely relevant information. What might be the excuse to justify not immediately making the incident public?"

Now, the White House may have an excuse – one better, say, than a desire to bury the information because it makes them look bad. But at this early juncture, it's not looking that way. In the press briefing this morning, White House spokesman Scott McClellan offered no real explanation, saying only that he learned of the incident Saturday night but left it to Cheney's office to release the information. As we now know, Cheney's office left it to Armstrong. It's rather jarring to think that had it not been for Caller-Times reporter Powell's good relationship with Armstrong, the story may have never seen the light of day.

It's too early to come to any firm conclusions about how this all played out. But with critics already hammering this White House for being overly secretive, it seems possible that the White House's lack of forthrightness about the incident may end up being more politically damaging that the shooting itself. (The liberal blogosphere, naturally, is already having a field day.) I do know this for sure: Harry Whittington may have had a bad weekend, but the late night comedians and their writing staffs showed up for work this morning feeling pretty good. It's not often, after all, that material this rich comes down the pike.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by ann12341 February 15, 2006 11:04 AM EST: I wish the media had been as vigilant when this administration took us to war in Iraq over weapons of mass destruction which didn't exist. Or had looked into the no-bid contracts of and over charging by Haliburton in Iraq. Or that the media would now tell the real truth about what is going on in Iraq. I agree that this shooting incident should have been reported sooner and that the media should have been given the story sooner but letting out all their suppressed anger now is not contructive. Cheney's shooting incident is just an example of a secretive administration intent on keeping the truth from the American public. When will the media get some "spine" and go after the real stories and ultimately the truth of what this administration has done?; Reply to this comment


by jtdavies3 February 14, 2006 11:58 AM EST: Or maybe, just maybe, we could assume the best and say that the White House withheld the information of the shooting until they knew Harry Whittington's prognosis.Or isn't the press corps interested in whether Harry Whittington is going to be OK?; Reply to this comment


by emhawks February 14, 2006 2:11 AM EST: I too, wouldn't be surprised if Cheney had been drinking; everyone knows guns & liquor are a lethal combination. I've worked as an RN for 32yrs; worked in many different areas, including surgery & ICU. Mr. Whittington is very fortunate he wasn't blinded or had part of his face blown off. As for "Why did it take more than 18 hours for the world to find out about the Cheney shooting?" we all need to remember this administration's secretiveness-----and their lies & then you'l have your answer to that question.; Reply to this comment


by peterbaldwin-2009 February 14, 2006 2:11 AM EST: Drinking might have been a factor but now we will never know, because the Secret Service overstepped its bounds by blocking Texas authorities from interviewing him right away, and, apparently, the Texas people capitulated. You only have a few hours to get a BAL and although there is a law against drinking and driving there is probably not one against drinking and hunting Republican contributors. And,I don't think they should pass one either. The larger question is how do you explain the lack of judgment for any experienced hunter to spin around and shoot wildly with other hunters around. With advancing arteriosclerotic heart disease over decades there is a likelihood of dementia or at least some significant cognitive impairment due to associated cerebral arterial stenososis.; Reply to this comment


by drinkof February 14, 2006 1:32 AM EST: Even the Cheney crew had to know this would come out, and that waiting would look bad. They are, if nothing else, supremely rational. It makes sense, then, that waiting brought a benefit that outweighed the grief to be had from waiting. The most logical reason to wait overnight, then slow-release it the next day, would be to allow the principals to sober up.; Reply to this comment


by dyre42-2009 February 13, 2006 11:14 PM EST: The one thing that strikes me really odd about the incident is that nobody including the hospital informed the sheriff's office. And hospitals are required by law to notify the authorities of any gun related injuries in Texas. Was the hospital just really slow or wre they acting on "orders"?; Reply to this comment


by dyn175 February 13, 2006 10:18 PM EST: Although I have seen a brief mention that the shooting incident was being investigated by the sheriff's office, I have yet to see a reporter ask whether incidents of this type would normally result in criminal charges in Texas.; Reply to this comment


by justmy2 February 13, 2006 5:54 PM EST: Vice Presidential hunting accident = opportunity to discuss Ray Nagin and Katrina Ladies and Gentlemen - We have our latest nominee for Strawman of the Year. Incredible.... BTW-For those discussing drinking, does anyone know if the Vice President's medication precludes him from drinking? That would be my guess, but it would certainly help eliminate that train of thought.; Reply to this comment


by melknick1 February 13, 2006 5:48 PM EST: This news story is RIDICULOUS! Not every event in the President's or Vice President's life is OWED to us as citizens. Are we honestly expecting to be notified the second either of them sneezes??? Give me a break. This is just the VERY desperate liberal media and liberal "party" grasping for spin. As long as the guy is ok, this is not a "scandal" and it's NONE OF OUR BUSINESS. The left needs to really get a life and FIND A REAL CAUSE!; Reply to this comment


by one_american February 13, 2006 5:36 PM EST: bmontopoli: Frontline??? Oh please. The same program that pontificated about how dangerous Saddam was (prior to War in Iraq) and then had selective amnesia once the war started? And why would anyone take Ray Nagin at his word? Why would he NOT have bus drivers? Actually, he ordered all the city transportation employees to a mandatory evacuation well before the storm arrived. So, if anyone is absolving him of his responsibily because he was a fool, then shame on them. Anyway, I'm off topic. Maybe if the subject ever shows up here, I'll have more to say, but I won't hold my breath waiting for it.; Reply to this comment